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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. present — there
  6. tube — a container
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fine — all right
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. present — a gift
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — certain
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — tied together
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a committee
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com